​

https://preview.redd.it/ft6nvw57dolc1.png?width=496&format=png&auto=webp&s=94fdc40f796adbf89d37eaf7105559943d8d0b9b

https://preview.redd.it/st7muhn7dolc1.png?width=549&format=png&auto=webp&s=f2498d602f37093857dc78c2a61d497ace5b7f7a

​

Okay, after forever, it's finally here. We can save and reopen tab sets. Lets talk about it.To simplify naming scheme, i'll call these SavedGroups.

First, there was already a plugin for chrome that did something very similar to this called TabBox.Tab box however, was a way to save and restore entire windows, INCLUDING their tab groups.This feature is for the tab groups themselves. None the less, SavedGroups are similar enough, their worth comparing, as TabBox has many features chrome saved sets don't. Ultimatly, i *might* convert to SavedGroups, but for power users (who SavedGroups should be targeting) you may want to use tabbox instead.

First, lets talk about chromes new SavedGroups. They let you easily save a group of tabs to chromes shortcut bar. They look visually appealing, and they can be reordered. Clicking one opens it in your current window, and if your on another window and click it, it takes you to the window that already has it open so its not open twice. Saving has to be enabled per tab group, and when it is, you can only "Hide" the tab group, not close it. To kill a group, unsave it, then Hide changes to delete.

basically, it is easy to use, good QoL, etc. Some people ask, are they hidden as they say? Or are they closed like a bookmark? A mod has said because of Low performance setting Memory Saver (on by default) that the tabs hibernate, while another user made a post saying they stay open, as he watched task manager. Well, as a power user myself, i can tell you task manager cannot be trusted, so i did some tests myself, with and without Memory Saver. Either way, it defiantly just straight up closes the tabs when you click hide. Hide is probably just being used as a word because most people know it, and it's "close enough" for casuals. PS: I had it off to begin with, but either way turn off memory saver, that shit makes your PC lag like a mother fucker when looking at tabs you already had open because it reloads the entire page and makes your PC stutter. Just don't do it. Unless your on 8GB ram or some shit, just don't. Anyway, if all that wasn't enough, SavedGroups you "Hide" cannot be searched in that fancy semi-new tab search bar feature at chromes top left. So yeah, they are defiantly closed.

Anyway, so thats SavedGroups, but what about TabBox? It saves them in a plugin menu, that scrolls down like a folder. You can also reorder them, etc etc. Unlike SavedGroups that cannot go in folders, TaBox keeps your shortcuts up there, and allows infinite in a scrolling window. It also lets you know how *many* tabs are in each group at a glance, and theres a dropdown to see every tab before actually opening the set, so you can see if what your looking for is in there. Because tabbox saves and restores entire windows, it's also great for when you want to focus on a project, that has related concepts. Like a set of wikipedia pages, and a set of news articles, but you would only need one when you need both, despite that you want them seperated. TabBox allows this, SavedGroups doesn't.

Both options have the option to open in the window you click on or a new window, and while my screenshot for TabBox implies theres a search bar (sounds cool) its a total lie, you can't search for tabs across all saved TaBox tabs.

I think SavedGroups is very close to being perfect. Quite frankly, all they are is fancy bookmarks. (and we power users barely ever *really* use bookmarks now anymore anyway, we save stuff, but never actually open them). Swapping from a book-mark focus, to a save group focus is probably a totally fine direction. The times when TaBox would win out would be few, or rather, those exceptions are fine to use tabbox at the same time. However, without the option to have folders for groups, and without the ability for SavedGroups to get the same real estate as bookmarks, i don't see prime targets for SaveGroups using it TO much untill this is fixed.

VERDICTThe reason savedGroups wins out, is because TaBox requires users to click save every time they want to update a set, while SavedGroups auto-updates INSTANTLY. I can open a group in a new window, open a new page in it, and without any other maintence, close the entire window, then open a new window and open the group and it's there. TabBox however, requires me to click update for a set. Plus if you update the wrong set? RIP.

​

TL;DR: ITS GOOD. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE:1: Give us folder support!2: Let users decide where the divide is between or SavedGroups and bookmarks. A max of 4 groups is to little!3: Give us a search bar for tab group names, just like TabBox does! we already get a dropdown if we have more then 4 groups. You can even let us use the already existing tab search bar, but have it also search tab groups!

​